


When You Come Back To Me Again

by TheRubyStorm



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: But definitely a happy ending, Childbirth, I just wanted to write a Levi giving birth fic, Mpreg, Multi, The Author Regrets Nothing, graphic birth, mentions of child death, omegaverse but not really, please forgive the inaccuracies, plenty of angst, yes it's another midwife fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-04-14
Packaged: 2020-01-13 11:19:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18467881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheRubyStorm/pseuds/TheRubyStorm
Summary: Males who had the carrier gene were rare.  Those who attempted to carry a pregnancy were rarer still.  So Elise was more than a little surprised to be called to attend to the delivery of one.   But her patient being Captain Levi Ackerman was the last person she would have ever expected.





	When You Come Back To Me Again

The incessant knocking at the door was nothing unusual for her. Unfortunately, it seemed like all the children in this district wanted to come into the world in the middle of the night when most preferred to be sleeping. Still, with a grumble, Elise rose slowly from the bed grabbing a robe so that she could have a level of decency when meeting the nervous father-to-be. The person who was waiting for her as she opened the door however, was the last person she would have expected.

“C-Commander Erwin?” she asked, shielding her eyes from the bright light of the torch.

“Are you Elise Brandt?” The question came, short and direct.

“Yes Commander.”

“And you're the practicing midwife in this district?” came next.

“Yes sir I am but…”

“There isn't much time to explain.” Erwin replied, his voice laced with a level of urgency. “But it's important for you to come with me as soon as possible. There's a member of the Survey Corps in need of your expertise.”

‘The Survey Corps? That's a new one.’ she though to herself. Still, she nodded her agreement and said she could be ready in five minutes to change and grab a few supplies to which Erwin seem satisfied and promised to wait on her to escort her there himself.

  
The closing of the door and the lighting of a lantern was what finally rose her husband from his sleep.

“What's going on?” He mumbled.

“It's just another mother in labor, Stefan. Go back to sleep.”

Ignoring her, he rubbed the sleep from his eyes as he got out of bed. “I heard someone mention the Survey Corps; is it someone I know?”

“Didn't say.” She replied as she changed out of her nightclothes and into a simple frock. “But for the Commander to come about it, it must be pretty important.” Tying her cloak about her neck, her eyes landed on the sight of the empty cradle in the corner of the room and felt a pang seize at her heart. It just wasn't fair…. Fighting back tears, she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder.

“Elise? You alright?”

Turning to face him, she sadly smiled as she ran her hand over where his other arm used to be; the scar left behind after a titan attack where only the quick action of Captain Levi had kept him from being the next victim.

She nodded her head. “It's nothing. I'm fine.”

“You know I don't believe that…”

 

She felt a pull at her heart as she thought of the son they lost only a month ago in her eighth month of pregnancy, their child that had died inside her, that never had a chance to take his first breath.

“Just feeling a little sorry for myself, that's all.” she confessed with a long breath. “There's something wrong with a midwife that can't even bring her own child into the world safely.”

“Elise…. You know it wasn't your fault.” Stefan said as he softly kissed her forehead. “Sometimes these kinds of things happen. You know that better than anyone.”

“I do. It's just…we've tried for so long, it finally happens and I lose it. Meanwhile…” She felt herself shake with rage. “Meanwhile, some girl in the Survey Corps gets herself knocked up, knowing full well that's one of the worst situations she could get herself into and is now going to have a baby that she can't possibly care for while someone else is left to pick up the pieces of this child's life.”

Stefan just let her rant, knowing that she truly didn't mean those things, but rather, it was her own grief that was motivating her outburst. And as her face relaxed, he knew she realized it too.

“I'm sorry… I wasn't… I didn't mean…” she muttered, her eyes filling with tears.

Taking her in his arm, he pulled her closer to him, letting her softly cry into his chest.

“We've been through so much heartache.” She sniffed. “When does it get better?”

“I don't know.” He admitted. “But we're more than due for a turnaround. And it’ll happen. I have no doubt that I came back to you alive for a reason. We just need to be open to that reason, whatever it may be.”

Looking up at him, she smiled and gave him a kiss on his cheek before ruffling his dark hair. “How do you always know the right thing to say?”

“Well I know you didn't marry me just because of my boyish good looks.” He smirked. “Go on. The commander’s waiting for you.”

* * *

For several roads, the two walked in complete silence, often straying from the main road to take smaller pathways in what she could only assume was an attempt at secrecy. After several turns, her curiosity was finally getting the better of her and she attempted to try for an answer from Erwin.

“So it's not typical that the commander of the Survey Corp is the one to retrieve a midwife in the middle of the night. I'm assuming there's a reason for all of this.”

Silence.

“Is it because of my patient?”

Still silence.

Frustrated, she spoke again. “With all due respect Commander, since I will be getting very up-close and personal with whomever my patient is in the next few minutes, it would be a great kindness to me to know who she is…”

Erwin’s response however came in the form of a question. “Are you familiar with male carriers, Mrs. Brandt?”

His response surprised her but she nodded. “I believe so. It's extremely rare. Only a small fraction of the male population are carriers of the gene and it's even rarer for them to reproduce but if a male had this gene, he could potentially become pregnant, carry a child to term and successfully give birth.”

“So you've treated one then?”

She shook her head. “My mother did once during her time as a midwife. Neither survived the delivery but she said it was unavoidable because…wait… Is…is my patient male?”

“We've arrived.” Erwin replied, avoiding the question all together as he opened the door for her to enter. Following behind him, her mind started racing. A male pregnancy. And not just that, someone in the Survey Corps. No wonder all the secrecy. She was nearly about to try again for an identity when a loud crash came from a nearby room, like something ceramic had connected with the wall. Then a side door opened, followed by another ceramic pot breaking against the wall and Hange Zöe bursting out of the room and shutting the door to a flurry of obscenities.

 

Catching sight of the two of them, Hange laughed and extended a hand to Elise for. “He's definitely got an arm on him, I’ll give him that. You must be the midwife.”

But her attention had caught on ‘he.’ “So it is a male that I'm treating…” Elise said quietly, her face blanching.

Hange angrily turned to Erwin. “You haven't told her yet?! And I suppose she has no idea who's in that room either, does she?”

“I thought it better to be discreet and wait until we arrived before revealing that information.”

By now, Elise's patience was wearing thin. “Well I'm here now. So who is my patient?”

A look passed between Hange and Erwin as if neither wanted to be the one to say it. Finally, Erwin spoke up.

“Your patient is Captain Levi Ackerman.”

 

“The captain of the Survey Corps?!” Elise nearly shrieked as she began pacing the hallway. “No, no, no…This can't be happening…”

“What is it Mrs. Brandt?”

Turning back to the two of them, she did her best to contain her anger. “You've got the wrong person for this. He needs a surgeon, not a midwife…”

“Why would there be need for a surgeon?” Erwin asked. “Childbirth is a regular process isn’t it?”

“Yes, for a woman!” she spat. “A male’s pelvis is much smaller than a female, even if they are carriers. It's why the male my mother attended died along with the child. It's why there are so few male carriers that even attempt a pregnancy at all. The risk of death in childbirth doubles for them. If we had a surgeon, they could attempt a possible c-section but…” She turned to Hange. “How long has he been in labor for?”

“At least 24 hours. Possibly longer.”

“And time between contractions?

“Very little if any.”

Elise cursed under her breath. “Then we're out of time. Fetching a surgeon isn't going to be an option…”

“Levi didn't want anyone else involved, so we were trying to allow him to deliver on his own.” Erwin started, visible signs of nervousness now appearing on his face. “But we were beginning to worry how long it was taking so Hange and I agreed that I should retrieve you. So what do we do now?”

Tying back her hair, she let out a breath. “We pray sir. Pray the baby is small enough to be born naturally and that Levi has the strength to bear it.

* * *

Elise had seen Levi only once up close; the day Stefan came home less one arm and the news that Levi's entire squad had been killed by a mysterious female titan in just minutes. She remembered his stone face, the distant gaze, the refusal to speak to anyone. So to see Levi now; face full of anger and exhaustion, writhing on the bed in pain and a stomach larger than she'd ever seen on a man, the sight was quite jarring.

As he caught sight of her, Levi let his head drop back on his pillow. “So the angel of death has come for me at last.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“You've come to put me out of my damn misery, to take me away from this pain.”

She set her supplies on a nearby table. “I'm afraid you still have some pain yet to come but with any luck, it won't be too much longer. My name's Elise Brandt. I'm a midwife.”

“Brandt…” he muttered to himself before turning to Erwin and Hange who had just entered into the room. “I thought I told you not to send for one.”

“It's been too long Levi.” Hange replied. “If there was to be any chance of the two of you surviving this, we needed to bring someone more qualified.”

“Who said I wanted us to survive this?” Levi growled at the start of another contraction, low enough for only Elise to hear and she swallowed hard as she watched him struggle to breathe through the pain. He was already on the verge of giving up, definitely not a good sign for someone preparing to deliver…

 

“Captain, I'm sorry but I need to check to see how far you've progressed.” She said after a moment. “Need to get an idea of what we're working with.”

The current contraction over, Levi grumbled as he turned to lay on his back and let his legs fall open. “Do what you have to…”

Smirking as she watched Erwin quickly turn away from seeing Levi's suddenly exposed lower half, Elise quickly set about her exam; her mind racing as to what should be done depending on what she found and praying for some form of good news. After a few minutes, she withdrew her hand and let out a breath.

“So Brandt,” Levi started. “What the verdict? How much longer is this going to take?”

“Well, depends on how well you can push.”

“What?”

“You're fully dilated, head’s down, passageway is completely opened. I'd say you're ready.”

Levi's face visibly went white. “No, that's impossible…”

“Actually, it's very possible. I could feel the top of its head.”

 

Turning towards the door, Levi motioned at Erwin and Hange. “Get out.”

“What?” Hange asked, surprised.

“You heard me. Both of you, get out.”

“But Captain,” Elise started. “We don't know what could happen. I may possibly need the help of another set of hands.”

“If you're as skilled as they claim you are, it won't be necessary. Now for the last time, both of you need to get out!” he shouted.

Erwin made no resistance to leaving the room while Hange gave a nod of ‘good luck’ before shutting the door behind them, leaving Elise completely alone with the intimidating stature of Captain Ackerman. At least, as intimidating as he could be at 10 centimeters dilated.

“Well Brandt,” Levi asked. “Where do we start?

* * *

Despite Elise's protest to at least let Hange be allowed back in, Levi was insistent on no one else besides her being present for the birth so Hange and Erwin were sentenced to the hallway to wait it out. Minutes turned to an hour, one hour turned to two as the sounds of Levi's screams of pain echoed into the hallway behind the closed door. At nearly the third hour, the door finally opened to an exhausted Elise and immediately they suspected the worse. There had been no cry of a newborn…

“What's happened? Is the child…dead?” Hange asked hesitantly.

“Thankfully no. It's still very much alive.” Elise replied, crossing her arms to a collective breath of relief. “Just refuses to be born…”

“And Levi?”

“He's wearing out. He's trying to rest for the next few contractions for now, but he's not going to last much longer. I think we're going to have to try something else.”

“Try what exactly?” Erwin questioned. “You're not considering trying to remove it yourself, are you?”

Elise shook her head. “We've already passed that point of no return. He's practically right there; he just needs that last ‘push’ for lack of a better word to get over that hump.”

“So what do you suggest?” Hange spoke up.

“We need to tip the scales back in his favor.” Elise replied. “Get him off his back and to his feet to get gravity on his side. Plus, he's been doing this alone. Childbirth is hard enough without someone to support you through it.”

“Wait…So he's actually letting us in?”

“It took a bit of convincing, but yes. That is, if the two of you are agreeable to it.”

For Hange, the agreement was immediate. Erwin was more delayed in his response, but soon gave his agreement with a slight nod of his head. Nodding in return, Elise took a breath before reopening the door. It was now or never.

 

Nearly 24 hours of labor and 3 hours of pushing had taken a greater toll on Levi than Hange or Erwin could have imagined. Levi had always been the image of strength but now, the man crying in pain on the bed was nearly heartbreaking. Catching sight of Erwin, Levi reached out his hand to which he took without hesitation.

“I don't want to do this anymore…” Levi growled as another contraction started. “Titans I can handle, but this is impossible.”

“Don't say that.” Erwin replied, brushing the wet hair off Levi's face as he tried to hide the pain of Levi crushing the bones in his hand. “People have been doing this since the beginning of time. Who's to say you couldn't too?”

“I can…” Levi muttered. “This child is not coming, therefore it’ll die, I’ll die and why not just put us both out of our misery now?”

“That's not going to happen if I can help it.” Elise replied as she could see the contraction ending. “Levi, I need you to get on your knees. Commander, I want you and Hange on either side of him. Make sure he stays upright.”

It took a few tries and some protests from Levi, but finally they had settled into a position they could work with; Levi kneeling on the bed, his arms draped across Erwin and Hange’s shoulders.

“No more…” Levi moaned. “I can't do this anymore…”

“Yes you can.” Elise replied. “You've made it this far already. I just need you to try a little bit longer and then we'll be done.”

“No, I don't…” his voice trailed of into a shout of pain as the next contraction began to build.

“Don't let it go to waste Levi. Deep breath, bear down and push.”

By now, his body had already taken over as he bore down, his legs shaking from the exertion as his fingers dug into Hange and Erwin's shoulders. Suddenly, he let out a gasp.

“Something shifted!”

“That's good. Baby's getting into position. Keep going.”

 

Somehow, that sensation of progress seemed to spur him on and with the support from Erwin and Hange, it was only a few contractions before the head that had been on the verge of emergence for the past hour finally became visible to a burst of expletives from Levi as it fully crowned.

“Get it out!” Levi shrieked.

“You're doing it on your own Levi. You have to pull it back a bit so the head can ease out.” Elise encouraged, looking up at Hange who was excitedly watching with great interest while Erwin was white by comparison and trying not to look at all costs by focusing on Levi's face.

“That's easy for you to say…” He growled, yet somehow managed to stop pushing long enough for the head to completely emerge to a burst of of fluid followed by another curse from Levi.

“You're doing great Captain.” Elise spoke up. “ Just try to catch your breath for…”

But Levi was already gone again, pushing with all the strength he could muster in an attempt to finish it quickly. Before Elise could get him to slow down, the baby suddenly shifted again and was quickly born into Elise's hands before she hardly had a chance to prepare herself. And as the newborn baby girl in her hands quickly let out a wail, Elise let out a breath of relief. They were both alive. Only briefly did she note that no one was sharing the excitement that typically happens at the birth of a child.

 

“Congratulations Captain.” Elise beamed. “You have a beautiful…”

“No!” Levi screamed, burying his face into Erwin’s neck. “I don't want to see it!”

Levi's reaction nearly stunned her into silence. “But sir, your daughter…”

“I said, take it away!” He said again, nearly hysterical now. “I don't want to see it! I don't want to hear it!”

Before Elise could say anything more, Hange was already reaching for the child with a nearby towel.

“Let me take her. I'll make sure she's cleaned up and taken care of.”

In a move almost mechanical, Elise quickly tied off and cut the cord, handing the newborn off to Hange who quickly whisked her out off the room. It was only when the cries could no longer be heard that Levi finally allowed Erwin to put him down so that Elise could tend to the afterbirth, his eyes refusing to leave the ceiling to keep her from asking why his rejection of the child had been so strong.

* * *

It wasn't until Levi finally fell into a restless sleep that she finally decided to go and check on the newborn currently in Hange’s care. Stepping into the room, all was calm as the infant was cleaned and swaddled in a soft blanket. But as she stepped closer to get her first good look at the child, her heart leaped into her throat. Her hair…her features…there was no denying the identity of the other parent.

This child…was Petra’s…

  
Noticing Elise’s shocked expression, Hange let out a chuckle. “You know, we hoped she would have taken after Levi. But I guess that can't be helped.”

“That why there was all this secrecy.” She realized. “Who else knew?”

“Just myself and Erwin. And we only found out yesterday when Levi went into labor.”

It was then that the newborn’s face wrinkled once again in distain before letting out a reedy wail.

Hange let out a sigh. “Poor thing’s probably hungry and we didn't even consider trying to find someone to…” But without a word, Elise had already scooped up the newborn into her arms and without even thinking, offered the babe her breast to which it eagerly accepted and began suckling, much to the surprise of Erwin and Hange.

 

“The midwife comes through again.” Hange chuckled while Erwin attempted to avert his gaze. “I had no idea you were able to…”

“I only gave birth three weeks ago.” Elise interrupted, her eyes never leaving the child nursing at her chest. “The supply's there. Someone should get to use it.”

“Are you sure?” Erwin asked. “I wouldn't want to deprive your child of their mother's nourishment.”

She bit her lip to keep the tears from working through. “There isn't a child to take it from. He never took his first breath…”

“I apologize, Mrs. Brandt.” Erwin said quietly, his eyes filled with regret. “If I'd known you'd been through all that, I never would have insisted…”

“Don't be ridiculous Commander.” Elise replied. “The next midwife is half a day’s travel from here. They wouldn't have survived that long. Besides, babies don't stop coming into the world. Someone has to help them along.”

For a while, all was silent as the child of the captain nursed contentedly at Elise’s breast and as she watched her drift off into a contented sleep, she spoke the question that had been lingering in the air.

 

“So what happens now?”

“You should know that better than anyone.” Hange replied sadly. “Levi’s in no position to raise her. She'll have to be taken to an orphanage.”

“What?! But why?” Elise asked as her arms wrapped tighter about the newborn. “I know the rules of the Survey Corp, but surely they could make an exception for…”

“The Survey Corp doesn't make exceptions for anyone.” Hange interrupted. “Not even Levi.”

She turned away disgusted. “That doesn't mean it's the right thing…”

“I know this upsets you. But you don't know Levi like we do. Levi does care for this child. If he didn't, he wouldn't have gone through with this pregnancy. Termination is a fairly simple task and easy for someone in his position to have covered up you know.”

Elise's stomach lurched at the thought and how matter-of-factly it was spoken of.

“However,” Hange continued. “Levi has been adamant from the moment he told us that he wouldn't keep her. The Survey Corp is all that he really known. He wouldn't leave for just any reason.”

“A child is more than just any reason…”

“True. But he'd rather know that he was making this world safer for her than to raise her. In a perfect world, he could have both but…”

“Maybe he can have both.” Elise said suddenly with a sense of realization.

“What do you mean?”

Determined, she turned to Erwin. “Commander, I need to speak with my husband. Could someone send for him please? It's urgent.”

Erwin, suspecting what was running through the young midwife’s mind, nodded his agreement. “I'll bring him here myself.”

* * *

 

It was nearly dawn when Levi awoke; the first thing his mind registering was the midwife sitting near his bed, the bundle in her arms being what he could only assume was his child.

“I told you, I don't want to see it...”

“You should though. She's beautiful…just like her mother…”

He let out a long breath. “So, you figured out my little secret then.”

“It was pretty unmistakable.” She admitted. “Did Petra know?”

He nodded. “The day before she di…was murdered by the Female Titan. We didn't have any plans for this. In all honesty, we didn't even think it could happen. The only way Male Carriers reproduce is to mate with another Carrier. Petra never told me she carried the gene and my condition was a highly guarded secret.”

She nodded. Female Carriers were one thing but Male Carriers…he would never had been allowed to remain in the Survey Corp.

“There was no way I was going to terminate the pregnancy. If I did, my condition would potentially be revealed, plus I couldn't bring myself to make that choice. So we agreed that after that mission, we would marry, Petra would leave the Survey Corps and we’d raise the child. But then…”

“Then everything went wrong and your team was wiped out.” She finished. “I remember when all of you came back to the walls. I had come to find my husband but I remember seeing you and how…broken you seemed. More than I had ever seen in you before.”

“Mrs Brandt, as ‘enjoyable’ as this stroll down memory lane has been,” Levi started, the slightest trace of anger to his voice. “You have done nothing to change my mind if that was your intent.”

“Not at all. From what what my husband described of you, you're very much of your own mind.”

“Who’s your husband?”

“You should see for yourself.” She called down the hallway. “You can let him in now.”

 

As he caught sight of the man that entered the room with grey eyes, dark hair and one arm, the realization was immediate.

“Stefan Brandt… So that's where I recognized the name from.”

“So you do remember me then?” Stefan asked in surprise.

He nodded. “You almost became a Titan meal if I remember correctly.”

“But I wasn't. Thanks to you.”

Levi shrugged it off as if it were nothing. “While I do appreciate the gratitude, I don't understand what this has to do with me.”

It was now that Elise spoke up. “You've done a great kindness in bringing my husband back to me alive. Now, we'd like to return the favor by giving something back to you.”

“I don't understand.” Levi replied, confused.

“A chance to be a part of your child's life.” She continued. “If you're truly adamant that you can't give your daughter the life you want for her, then let us do that for you. We can give her a safe home as protected from titans as possible, a place where she'd never have to worry about her next meal, a happy childhood and the care of two parents that would love her as if she were their own. But she'd be ours in name only; you'd still very much be her father. We have an extra room in our home; you could stay whenever you wanted to spend time with her. And even if…something should happen, you can be sure she'd know her parents. Both of them…”

Levi was quiet for a moment after this, the silence in the room deafening as they waited for an answer. Finally, he turned to her and she saw something in his face she'd never seen before; a softness to his face that was almost sweet and beyond that, hope.

“Could…could I hold my daughter?” He asked quietly.

At his response, Elise let out a breath of relief. That was acceptance enough. Gently, she placed the babe in his arms. “You can hold her for as long as you want.”

  
As he held the sleeping child in his arms, Elise could only watch as the hardened exterior of the Captain slowly melted away; walls coming down as he finally accepted his daughter into his world. For the first time, he didn't have to be strong, he didn't have to carry the burden all on his own. He could just be her father and that was enough. And as the newborn in his arms let out a sound of contentment in her sleep, he knew that it probably couldn't get much better than this.

“What were you going to call her?” He asked after a while.

“Actually, we thought you should have that decision.” Stefan replied.

“Emilie.” He said after some thought, tears glistening in his eyes. “That was the first name Petra said when we found out.”

“Emilie Ackerman Brandt. Definitely has a nice ring to it.” Elise smiled. Stefan had been right; everything happened in their lives for a reason. Adopting the daughter of the Captain had certainly not been what she'd expected when she'd arrived at this delivery. But something had brought their paths to cross for a reason. And no matter how unexpected it was, she wouldn't have had it any other way.

 

-THE END-

 

**Author's Note:**

> God this took forever...so I'm really glad to be done. Plus this was my first attempt at an AoT fic so it was nice to try something different for once.
> 
> Fun Fact: The character of Stefan Brandt was actually inspired by actor Stefan Karl (Robbie Rotten of Lazytown) who passed away from cancer not too long before I started writing this. So this character was my little dedication to him.


End file.
